Stoker conveyer



March 27, 1934.

P. ANDERSON STOKER CONVEYER I Filed March 5, 1930 [5N VEN TOR /ozfard fimeraolz ATTORNEY v25 in the firebox or grate construction.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES STQKER CONVEYER Howard P. Anderson, Erie, Pa., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application March 5, 1930, Serial No. 433,462

14 Claims.

This invention relates generally to stokers for conveying fuel from a source of supply to a combustion chamber, as from a locomotive tender to a locomotive firebox, and more particularly it appertains to means for reducing the larger lumps of fuelto a suitable size for firing, and wherein the means is capable of adjustment to vary and control the size of the lump fuel to be fed to the combustion chamber.

Stokers, especially those in locomotive service, are used with combustion chambers of different sizes and wherein many different designs and forms of grates are provided. Some combustion chambers embody grates having small air openings adapted to burn small lump or comminuted fuel and carry a thin firebed, while others are provided with comparatively large air openings to burn lump fuel of a size or sizes dependent upon the area of the grate openings and the draft on the fire, and whereon a comparatively thick firebed may be maintained, such for example, as

the firebox of hand fired locomotives, which locomotives are gradually being equipped with stokers and in most installations no change is made In order that stoker equipment of more or less standard form may be used with fireboxes or combustion chambers having these radically different combustion conditions and in each attain the complete combustion of the fuel with a minimum loss of fuel through the grates or as volatile matter passing out the stack unconsumed, some arrangement must be provided to vary and control the size of the lump fuel fed to the combustion chamber.

To the above and other ends, this invention is directed, and has for an object the provision of new and useful means for regulating the size of the crusher throat or stoker conveyer trough delivery opening; and another object of the invention is the provision of such means for determining the stroker conveyer trough opening or crusher throat that can be conveniently and readily adjusted without disassembling or disturbing any part of the stoker mechanism or interfering with its operation.

A further and more specific object of this invention is to provide in a stoker conveyer trough a manually and laterally adjustable plate arranged to control the trough delivery opening, or the throat opening of a fixed crusher.

, The invention has other objects and advantages that will be apparent from the accompanying drawing, and the following detail desorption.

On the drawing,

' of the bolts 24 the crusher 25 provided with rear- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary central longitudinal vertical section through a portion of a locomotive and tender with the invention shown in place in a stoker conveyer shownin similiar section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view on the 1 line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is. a vertical section on the line 3,-3 of Fig. 1, and taken in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken in a on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

For the'purpose of illustrating the invention it is shown provided in a stoker conveyer system illustrated as applied to a locomotive and tender.

horizontal plane Of course, it is obvious the invention is not limit- 1 ed for use with locomotive stokers for it is equally capable of use with other stokers of similarconstruction.

The frame of a locomotive tender is indicated at 10, its floor at 11, and 12 indicates a portion 7" of a locomotive coupled with the tender by conventional coupling means 13. The floorof the tender is provided with a longitudinal opening 14 adapted for thedischarge of fuel therethrough into the trough 15 of a stoker feed system located below the floor 11 of the tender.

The trough 15 communicates at its forward end with the spherical extension or bowl 16 which is in turn flexibly connected to the telescoping housing 17 by attachment tothe vertically split spherical shell member 18. The housing or conduit 17 of the feed system leads forwardly to the locomotive firebox or combustion chamber. Disposed within the trough 15 and the housing 17 are fuel advancing means which preferably take the form of screws as shown in the figures at 19 and 20. The screws 19 and 20 are flexibly connected as by a universal joint 21.

Removable cover plates 22 may be slid forward or moved from covering position to permit the entry of fuel into the trough 15 as the supply becomes depleted.

The front of the trough 15 is formed by the plate 23 to which is'rigidly secured as by means wardly extending spurs or projections 26. The crusher 25 is of ordinary construction and formed with the usual lower recess which embracesthe upper portion of the conveyer screw. The right lower edge of the crusher plate 25, however, is recessed more than the left lower edge to permit of a larger opening between the crusher plate and the periphery of the screw on the right side or delivery side of the screw.

The plate 23 is provided with an oval shaped delivery opening or passageway 27 which forms with the rearward portion of the tender bowl 16 a restricted passageway through which fuel is moved by the conveyer screw 19. Located in the right side of the tender bowl flange 28 is a plate 29 mounted in the guideways 39 and 31 and adapted to slide therein in a horizontal plane. The guideways 30 and 31 are formed by grooves cut in the tender bowl flange 28 adjacent the plate 23. The tender bowl flange 28 is also provided with a vertical slot 32 through which the plate 29 extends. The inner edge of the plate 29 is formed with a recess or curvilinear opening 33 which embraces the right side of the conveyer screw and whose radius of curvature is substan-.

tially equal to the radius of curvature of the screw. The outer end of the plate 29 is provided with the longitudinal slots 34 and 35 adapted to receive bolts 36 and 37 which are in a fixed position in the front plate 23. The plate 29 is secured to the plate 23 in desired. position by the bolts 36 and 37 and is accessible from the front of the trough.

The longitudinal slots 34 and 35 provide means for'rendering the plate adjustable to and from the screw. The plate 29 may therefore, be adjusted to restrict or enlarge the delivery opening as desired.

When the stoking mechanism is in operation, and with'the plate 29 moved to its extreme position to the right, the opening between the periphery of the screw on its delivery side and the crushing members is at a maximum and as a consequence fuel of larger size is fed than in the usual crusher construction. If it is desired to reduce the size of the fuel, the plate 29 is moved to the left restricting the opening between it and the screw. Those fragments of fuel that are already properly reduced in size are carried forward by the screw in the trough in the usual manner. The fuel fragments which are too large to pass under the crusher plate 25 are crushed against its edge by the pressure of the conveyor will readily realize the practicability of this invention and will clearly understand how the ends are attained to which the invention is directed and .in addition it is believed apparent that the invention facilitates delivery and materially aids in the continuous and even feeding of the fuel.

I claim:

1. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough having a discharge opening of greater width than height, means for advancing fuel therethrough, a crushing abutment at said opening in said trough arched over said fuel advancing means, and laterally adjustable means separate from said crusher disposed transversely of the trough for enlarging and'restricting the width of said opening.

2. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough having a laterally distended discharge opening, means for advancing fuel therethrough, a crushing abutment above said fuel advancing means adjacent said opening and adjustable means at said discharge opening on that side of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the screw along which most of the fuel is conveyed for enlarging and restricting the width of said opening.

3. In a fuel conveyer and crusher, in combination, a fuel trough communicating with a restricted passage, a screw conveyor for advancing fuel therethrough, a crushing abutment arching over the screw, the arched lower edge of said crushing abutment being recessed deeper on that side of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the screw along which most of the fuel is conveyed and adjustable means on the same side of said screw in said restricted passage adjacent said crushing abutment for varying the cross sectional area of said passage.

4. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough communicating with an oval shaped tubular member, screw means for advancing fuel through said trough and said tubular member, said screw means being located in one side of said oval shaped tubular member and adjustable means disposed in the other side for varying the size of the opening between the periphery of the screw and the wall of said tubular member.

5. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough having an opening discharging into a passageway, screw means-for advancing fuel .therethrough, the wall of said passageway adja- :fuel trough communicating with an oval'shaped pasageway, screw means for advancing fuel therethrough, the axis of said screw means being disposed transversely of and parallel to the axis of said passageway, and said screw means being disposed more remote from the sidewall on that side of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the screw along which most of the fuel is'conveyed'than its diametrically opposite sidewall and adjustable means adjacent the more remote sidewall for varying the width of the opening between said screw means and said more remote sidewall.

'7. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough communicating with an oval shaped passageway, screw means for advancing fuel therethrough, said screw means being disposed in that side of said oval shaped passageway opposite the delivery side of said screw, and adjustable means in'said passageway for varying the width of the opening on that side of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the screw along which most of the fuel is conveyed.

8. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough communicating with an oval shaped passageway, screw means for advancing fuel therethrough, said screw means being disposed more remote from one sidewall than'its diametrically opposite sidewall, and means comprising a plate having one edge recessed to conform with the periphery of said screw means adjustably arranged to and from said screw means on that side of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the screw along which most of the fuel is conveyed. i

9. A stoking device according to claim 6 wherein the sidewall more remote from the conveyer screw is provided with a longitudinal slot adapted to receive a plate adjustable-to and from said screw, and means without the passageway for fixing said plate in one of a number of positions.

10. In a fuel feeding conveyer system comprising a trough section and a tubular conduit section, a horizontally elongated opening between said sections forming a passageway for the fuel,

a fixed crusher member disposed above said opening, means in said trough for advancing the fuel past said crusher and through said opening, and means separate from said crusher disposed at said opening capable of lateral adjustment to restrict the passageway for the fuel.

11. A fuel feeding conveyer system including a trough section having an end closure plate provided with a horizontally elongated discharge opening therein, a screw mounted in said trough and extending through said opening and means adjacent said discharge opening adjustable transversely of the conveyor to vary the size of the 'opening between the periphery of the screw and 'the edge of said end closure plate bounding said elongated discharge opening.

12. In a fuel feeding conveyer system, the combination of a trough section having an end closure plate provided with an elongated discharge opening, a screw extending through said elongated opening and disposed in one side thereof providing a space in the opposite side of said elongated opening, a. fixed crusher above said screw adjacent said end closure plate, and separable adjustable means to restrict said space in said elongated opening. 7

13. In a fuel feeding conveyer system, the combination of a trough section having an end 010- sure plate provided with a horizontally elongated discharge opening, a screw extending through said opening and disposed in one side thereof providing a space in the opposite side of said opening, a fixed crusher above said screw adjacent said end closure plate, and means comprising a plate laterally adjustable in a horizontal plane to and from said screw varying the size of said space in said opening.

14. In a stoking device, the combination of a fuel trough, a screw conveyer for advancing fuel therethrough, a crushing abutment arching over the screw, the arched lower edge of said crushing abutment being recessed deeper on that side of a vertical plane passed through the axis of the screw along which most of the fuel is conveyed, and means associated with said crushing abutment adjustable transversely of the conveyer to and from said screw varying the opening between the periphery of said screw and the recessed edge of said crushing abutment.

' HOWARD P. ANDERSON. 

